Composition

Pentimenti show that there were originally two figures on the beach to left of the rocks at lower right, the heads just visible under the surf.

Technique

As with Sea and Rain [YMSM 065], the size of the canvas corresponds quite closely with that of the French 'toile de vingt', and was probably acquired in France. Sky and sea were painted with fairly thick paint, with long strokes from left to right on the sea, skipping over the canvas and leaving bare areas between brushstrokes, conveying breaking waves at the edge of the beach. Shorter, more blurred, strokes were used for the sky.

Conservation History

Unknown. One early photo shows considerable abrasion at the edges, which has been repaired to some extent. There is some craquelure on the sky.

Frame

• 1865: the style and whereabouts of previous frames are unknown.
• 1892: frame made by F. H. Grau, probably during preparations for the Goupil Gallery exhibition. [FD] 92.7 x 105.4 cm (36 ½ x 41 ½"), [MW] 17.7 cm (7"). 1

In 1873 Whistler wrote to C. W. Deschamps, 'I regret immensely having been knocked over by my illness so immediately after seeing you - and so prevented from seeing the picture and doing anything about either its name or its frame.' 2 Deschamps replied, 'The Yacht Race even as it is, is a beautiful picture; for my own part I prefer the frame as it is; rough, simple, ugly even, but it holds a jewel.' 3

The current frame was probably made in 1892. The verso of the frame was signed by the frame-maker Frederick Henry Grau (1859-1892), who made most of Whistler's frames for the Goupil exhibition.